The man charged with murdering Ballarat woman Samantha Murphy has pleaded not guilty. Patrick Orren Stephenson is accused of murdering the Ballarat mother in February this year.
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00:0023-year-old Patrick Oren Stevenson appeared via video link from custody this morning into
00:07the Ballarat Magistrates Court where he officially entered a not guilty plea.
00:11Mr Stevenson stands accused of murdering 51-year-old mother of three Samantha Murphy.
00:17Today he elected to waive his right to committal proceedings and instead will be fast-tracked
00:22directly to the Supreme Court where it's expected he will stand trial.
00:26Also Ms Murphy disappeared from her Ballarat East home in February to go for a job.
00:31She hasn't been seen since and there have been numerous attempts to recover her remains.
00:36Back in May her phone was found at the bottom of a dam close to the Enfield State Forest
00:40where another search for her remains was recently launched back in September.
00:45Today Mick Murphy, Ms Murphy's husband, appeared in the court to listen to the proceedings.
00:50He declined to speak with media.
00:52The next step in this case will be that Mr Patrick Oren Stevenson will appear in the
00:56Supreme Court again at the end of this month.